Is pinworm infection still a public health concern among children in resource-rich regions? Trends in pinworm infection prevalence and associated factors among children in Hualien County, Taiwan: a retrospective cross-sectional study

Abstract Background Enterobius vermicularis (pinworm) is a common intestinal parasitic infection in children. A gradual decrease in the prevalence of pinworm infection has been noted in resource-rich settings, such as Taiwan. However, the influence of sociodemographic factors on the temporal trend in pinworm infection rates in children under the current pinworm infection prevention policy in Taiwan is not well characterized. This study aimed to evaluate the trend of pinworm infection prevalence and the associated factors among children in Hualien County, Taiwan. Methodology In this retrospective cross-sectional study, we included a total of 56,197 students (aged 6–10 years) in grades 1 and 4 in Hualien in 2009–2018. Children were screened for pinworm infection using adhesive cellophane perianal swabs in the routine student health examination. Logistic regression was conducted to evaluate the factors associated with pinworm infection. Associations between dependent and independent variables were measured by odds ratios. The Cochran–Armitage test was used to assess whether there were significant trends in different stratifications. Variables with P-values